Commercial Water Conservation

Deadline for Compliance January 1, 2017

Replacing old, water-wasting plumbing fixtures with new efficient models is one of the most important steps to help conserve and protect California’s water supplies. Several state and local measures require property owners to install water-conserving plumbing fixtures. The SFPUC and Department of Building Inspection (DBI) are partnering to provide information to building owners on local water efficiency ordinances and how to comply with requirements.

SFPUC water conservation technicians can help customers identify plumbing fixtures that do not meet Water Conservation Ordinance requirements, provide free high-efficiency showerheads, and prequalify toilets and urinals for rebates when you sign up for a FREE Water Wise Evaluation.

Do the requirements apply to me?

Commercial Water Conservation At a Glance

Purpose
To conserve water by ensuring efficient plumbing fixtures in commercial buildings.

The Commercial Water Conservation Ordinance applies to all existing commercial properties. This ordinance requires commercial building owners to repair plumbing leaks, replace inefficient plumbing fixtures, and submit a completed Commercial Water Conservation Affidavit to DBI by January 1, 2017 that verifies all plumbing fixtures are compliant.

How do I comply?

By January 1, 2017, all existing commercial properties in San Francisco must have replaced noncompliant plumbing fixtures that exceed the maximum water use rates below to meet water efficiency requirements in SFBC Chapter 13A.

All showerheads must not exceed a maximum flow of 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm)

All showers have no more than one showerhead per valve

All faucets and faucet aerators must not exceed a maximum flow rate of 2.2 gpm

All water closets (toilets) must not exceed a maximum rated water consumption of 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf)

All urinals must not exceed a maximum flow rate of 1.0 gpf

All water leaks have been repaired

To comply, commercial property owners or an authorized representative shall conduct an inspection to verify all plumbing fixtures in their buildings meet the requirements above and submit to DBI a Commercial Water Conservation Affidavit on or before January 1, 2017. All noncompliant fixtures must be replaced before completing the affidavit. Failure to submit an affidavit by the deadline or submitting an affidavit with inaccurate information will result in DBI initiating code enforcement proceedings, which may include monetary penalties and a lien on the property.

Submit a completed affidavit by mail or in-person to DBI’s Commercial Water Conservation Ordinance Counter, Window #8, First Floor, 1660 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 or by email to dbi.plumbing@sfgov.org.

Need to replace a non-compliant plumbing fixture?

California plumbing code requires new plumbing fixture installations to meet the following water use rates:

Showerheads ≤ 2.0 gpm

Residential kitchen faucet aerators ≤1.8 gpm

Residential lavatory faucet aerators ≤1.2 gpm

Commercial/public lavatory faucets ≤ 0.5 gpm

Toilets ≤ 1.28 gpf

Urinals ≤ 0.125 gpf

Compliance with the requirements must be completed through DBI's Plumbing Inspection Division. For more information, contact (415) 558-6058 or visit at sfdbi.org/CommercialConservation.

Rebates of up to $125 for replacement of each non-compliant tank style toilet and up to $500 for replacement of each non-compliant flushometer toilet and urinal – Apply now! Program ends December 31, 2016